Inquest into RAF airman's death

Corporal Brent John McCarthy's family paid tribute to him today.

A coroner has recorded that Cpl Brent McCarthy and Welsh Guard Lance Cpl Davies were unlawfully killed while on act of service.

Brent John McCarthy, from Telford, was shot in Afghanistan in May 2012 at a petrol base in Helmand province.

Cpl Brent McCarthy poses for a picture with an afghan policeman just moments before the policeman opens fire and turns the gun on the RAF airman from Telford.

Today, an inquest into the death of Cpl Brent McCarthy has resumed at Oxford Coroners Court.

Read the latest here.

Army Major Greg Sangster said Cpl Brent McCarthy was treated no differently. He said he was trained in a self defensive role to protect himself and others around him.

He told the inquest Cpl McCarthy's training was more than sufficient for the level of threat. He denied funding was an issue in this case.

RAF policeman Cpl Brent McCarthy, from Telford, and Welsh Guard Lance Corporal Davies were just "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Speaking at the inquest into their deaths at Oxford Coroner's Court, Lieutenant Benjamin Bardsley said he believed their shooting was an "opportunist event" as no one had been told in advance they were going to be in the area.

They died in what is known as a green- on-blue attack - killed by the Afghan personnel they were mentoring. It is also known as an insider threat.

The family of an RAF policeman shot dead in Afghanistan have raised concerns about his level of combat training.

A lawyer acting for the family of Cpl Brent McCarthy, an RAF policeman from Telford, told an inquest into his death that they were concerned he was treated like a "second class citizen" compared with colleagues in the Army.

They said he would get into the firing range in training - but come back without firing a single shot.

Sometimes, he would be left behind in the classroom as no vehicles were available.

The inquest into the death of an RAF airman from Telford is expected to conclude today.

Corporal Brent John McCarthy was shot in Afghanistan in May 2012 at a petrol base in Helmand province alongside a colleague.

The inquest at Oxford Coroners Court has been told the injuries of both men in the gun attack were unsurvivable and nothing could have been done to save their lives.

The two men were shot by two men wearing Afghan police uniforms.

The inquest heard an intelligence report that said "insider threat" was difficult to detect. Insurgents and the Taliban used this kind of attack as a tactic and there had been no increase in this kind of threat.

The inquest has been told the injuries of both men in the gun attack were unsurvivable. Nothing could have been done to save their lives .

Corporal Brent McCarthy, aged 25, from Telford, died of a gunshot wound to the chest from a small arms weapon fired at close range.

Welsh Guard Lance Corporal Davies, aged 27, from South Glamorgan, died from at least five shots from different angles. He had gunshot wounds to his head, chest and abdomen.

The inquest was told he would have lost consciousness immediately and it was likely he died very rapidly.

An inquest into the death of an RAF airman from Telford is due to resume today at Oxford Coroners Court.

Corporal Brent John McCarthy was shot in Afghanistan in May 2012 at a petrol base in Helmand province.

He and a colleague from Wales were attending a meeting at an Afghan police headquarters in Helmand, when two people wearing Afghan police uniforms opened fire.

Read more: Funeral of Telford soldier killed in Afghanistan